History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 69
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 69

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As to the Virginla Holcombes, the doctor Informs us that he can find no slate of births antecedent to 1680.

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HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

mercantile business in Lambertville, and resided here until his death.

A granddaughter of Samuel Holcombe, Mrs. Grace Britton, died in Lambertville, in the spring of 1880, in the one hundred and second year of her age.

The will of Samuel Holcombe was admitted to pro- bate Sept. 21, 1769. His wife, Eleanor, Samuel, his third son, and his only brother, Richard, were the ex- eentors of the will.

Richard, just mentioned, the younger son of John Holcombe, the first known settler here, married twice.

His first wife was Mary Harvey, by whom he had one child,-a daughter. His second wife was the Widow Emley, whose maiden name was Atkinson. By her he had two children,-a son and a daughter.

Among the early settlers whose descendants are still living in this locality, the next family in order of time is that of the Coryells.

After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes the family of Coryells left their home in that part of France which borders on Switzerland and Germany, and sought refuge in this country. The tradition is that they landed at Perth Amboy, N. J .; in what year is not known. They settled near the present sites of New Market and Dunellen, on the borders of Somerset and Middlesex Counties, where many of the descendants of one of the brothers are now residing.

One tradition is that there were two brothers, David and John Emanuel; another, there were three. That the latter tradition is probably correct appears upon investigating the old register of the First Re- formed Church of Somerville. That David and Jolin Emanuel were brothers accords with the general tra- dition of the family. That there was another brother, Abraham, is at least probable, from the fact that the old church register referred to presents the name of Abraham Coryell, who had a son Abraham baptized Jan. 29, 1738,-the same year in which David's son Abraham was born, and not far from the time when John Emanuel's son Abraham was born. Abraham Coryell, therefore, was of the same generation as Da- vid and John Emanuel. He may have been their cousin, but was probably their brother. Abraham's wife's name, as given in the church register, then kept in the Low Dutch language, was Catryntie (or Catharine).

The following items the writer gathered from the baptismal records of the First Reformed Church of Somerville, through the kindness of the venerated pastor, the Rev. Dr. Abram Messler :

" June 2, 1728, Annetie (Anne) daughter of David and Eleie Koriel.

" May 16, 1731, daughter of David Koriel Jaunetje (Jane).

" August 20, 1738, David Coryell, child Moses.

"Jan. 7, 1739, Abraham, son of David and Elsie Coryell.

"Jan. 29, 1738, Abraham, son of Abraham and Catrynte (Catherine).

" June 1, 1740, Nellje (Nellie), daughter of Emanuel and Saralı Cor- yell.

"Jan. 5, 1743, child (name not given) of Abraham and Catryntie (Catharine) Koryell; Auntie Van Cott godmother.

" May 19, 1745, David Koryel, wife Elsie, child Jannetje (Jane)."

It is evident from this copy of the register that there was no uniformity in the spelling of the name. In two documents recorded at the office of the Secre- tary of State at Trenton, John Emanuel's signature is given, in which he writes his name "Coryal." His descendants write the name "Coryell," but those of David write it "Coriell."

David Coryell repeatedly bought small tracts of land in the neighborhood of New Market, until he became quite an extensive landholder. Most of the present site of Dunellen and considerable of the land to the mountain, on the north, was in his possession. Some of his purchases date back to 1725.

The children of David were Anne, Jane (probably died early), David, Moses, Abraham, Jane, and Eli- sha. David, the son of David, died Sept. 23, 1803, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. Abraham, son of David, died Sept. 22, 1828, aged ninety years.

The branch of the family now living in the vicinity of Plainfield all seem to be the descendants of David. Whether there are any living descendants of the first- mentioned Abraham, whom we have assumed to be the brother of David and John Emanuel, we have not ascertained.

There is no evidence that John Emanuel ever owned any land in the vicinity of New Market and Dunellen. In 1732 he removed to this place and bought of John Purcell a tract of 200 acres which Purcell had purchased of John Coates, to whom the tract was deeded by his father, Samuel Coates. This was doubtless the ferry lot, as Coryell obtained a patent for the ferry on Jan. 7, 1733, in which patent it is mentioned as being formerly known as Coates' Ferry. The northern boundary of this tract was a line running from the river nearly due east through what is now Church Street. In 1743 he purchased of Thomas Paget the tract north of Church Street which James Paget, father of Thomas, had located, as we have seen, in virtue of a warrant bought of John Reading.

In an old paper, still extant, drawn up in 1760, by arbitrators selected to make an equitable division of the estate (in accordance with his last will and testa- ment), this tract is called the " Bungtown lot." This nickname, then, is of quite ancient origin. Why it should not have been given to the ferry lot, which is styled "Lot Number One," it is difficult to explain, for, as the tavern was near the ferry, one would think that there would have been the scene of some of the pugilistic encounters so frequent in those days. Per- haps, obtaining stimulants, they repaired to the open fields above for the free exercise of their muscular dexterity and vigor. Among the names of the signers of this paper of arbitration is that of Dr. Jonathan Ingham, the father of the Hon. Samuel D. Ingham, who was so long in public life and who was the first Secretary of the Treasury in Gen. Jackson's first ad- ministration.

Emanuel Coryell in 1737 purchased of the heirs of

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Neill Grant a large tract of land which, as nearly as we can ascertain, extended over Cottage Hill and Goat Hill. Ile built the stone tavern which occupied the site of Mr. Griffith Williams' house, at the south- west corner of Ferry and Union Streets, and which was torn down only about twenty-five years since. This tavern was a noted place in the time of the Rev- olution. Many a soldier slaked his thirst at the old well which still affords its cooling refreshment to the neighborhood; but there is reason to suspect that many a one whetted his appetite at the old tavern with a more stimulating fluid. Hiding from our view, however, the carousals and brawls which must often have been witnessed there, we will think only of its Revolutionary associations,-of the toil-worn soldiers who stopped there or filed by in that tramp whose sound was heard round the world; of the gen- erals and statesmen who were devoting their lives to the cause of freedom ; of Washington, Green, Hamil- ton, Knox, Stirling, the youthful Monroe,-then a lieutenant,-and Paterson, also a lieutenant. We shall have more to say farther on as to the Revolu- tionary events associated with Coryell's Ferry.

The name of Emanuel Coryell appears with that of Benjamin Canby as one of the witnesses to the will of John Holcombe, proved in 1743. The Christian name of Emanuel Coryell's wife was Sarah, and there appears in old documents good ground for the suppo- sition that she was the daughter of John Lambert, of South Wingfield, county of Derby, England. They had at least seven children, named as follows: John, Cornelius, George, Abraham, Nellie, William, and Sarah. Of these, Nellie and William died in chill- hood.

The widow of Emanuel Coryell married George Ely, of Solebury, Pa., and their names are mentioned in the articles of arbitration already referred to. Sarah, the surviving daughter of Emanuel, was not of age when the arbitration was made. Her brother Cornelius acted as her guardian. She was subse- quently married to Philip Atkinson for her first hus- bund, and to John Ely for her second.

John, eldest son of Emanuel Coryell,* married and settled in Pennsylvania, near the ferry: After the death of the widow of Benjamin Canby, in 1760, the ferry property, on the Pennsylvania side, was sold (formerly Wells' Ferry), and it was bought by John Coryell.

In the records of Bucks County there is recorded a mortgage dated July 21, 1764, John Coryell, of Sole- bury, Pa., and Elizabeth his wife being of the one part, and John Hughes, Esq., of the city of Philadel- phia, of the other part. The tract of land mortgaged was one hundred and six acres in extent, in Solebury township, and bounded by the river Delaware. The amount of the mortgage was five hundred pounds.

John Coryell was granted a license to keep a public house of entertainment in Solebury, Pa., in June, 1774. Cornelius, the second son of Emanuel, was born in 1732; he lived until 1831. His remains were interred in the Presbyterian churchyard, which was the family burying-ground. He was granted by the articles of arbitration a large tract of land, including a great part of the original Coates tract and a part of the Neill Grant tract, extending over the northern slope of Goat Hill and the heights above Cottage Hill. His place of residence was on Goat Hill. Some of the older inhabitants of the town have a distinct recollection of him. He married Sallie Shaw, and had the following-named children,-viz .. George. Mary, Jacob, Tunis, John, Eleanor, Cornelius, and Joseph.

George Coryell, the third son of John Emanuel, came into possession, by the articles of arbitration, of the tract lying north of Church Street and east of Main, below Church, to a little below Swan's Creek. He built a residence on the site of the house now owned by Samuel Hoppock, on Main Street, near the northwest corner of Main and York Streets. This house was burnt down in the early part of this een- tnry. Just before the battle of Monmouth, when the Federal troops were here, it was the headquarters of Maj .- Gen. Nathaniel Greene.

George Coryell was a captain in the Revolutionary army. The following incident is told of him as having happened shortly before the battle of Trenton. The writer of this sketch is indebted for it to Mr. Martin Coryell, the great-grandson of Cornelius, who was the brother of George. When the American army had taken its position on the opposite bank of the river, Capt. Coryell, desiring more thoroughly to complete his family arrangements preparatory to a prolonged absence with the army, took a bateau and recrossed the river. Whilst at his house he was surprised and captured by advanced scouts of the British army. He was then pinioned and placed in the bow of his boat, and, with a soldier to row and an officer in the stern, the batteries of the American army placed above the ferry were carefully reconnoi- tred. As Capt. Coryell was recognized by his com- rades as a prisoner in the hands of the British, they withheld their fire; and so the reconnoissince was made in safety, and the captain escaped unhurt. Ile died in 1814.

Hlis youngest son, Judge John Coryell, was all his life a resident of this place, and died Oct. 31, 1861, in the ninetieth year of his age. Ile was for many years a justice of the peace, and for several years one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Hun- terdon County.

Abraham, the fourth son of John Emanuel, was left, by the articles of arbitration, the ferry, with its franchises and seventy-five and three-fourths acres .- a part of the Coates tract, previously mentioned. During the last years of his life he lived in Kingwood

* For these Items wo aro Indebted to Mr. Reuben Ely, who has been painstaking in his investigations.

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township. His remains are deposited by the side of those of his brother Cornelius in the old family burying-ground, now the Presbyterian churchyard. This burying-ground was on the line between the Coates tract and what is supposed to have been Paget's. He left five children,-viz., Sarah, George, John, Joseph, and Emanuel. A grandson of Abra- ham by his eldest son, George,-Mr. Tunison Coryell,- is still living in hale and hearty old age at Williams- port, Pa., respected and beloved by all who know him.

The ferry called Coryell's Ferry was, down to the year 1770, more generally known as Wells' Ferry. It was so named from John Wells, to whom it was leased in 1719, by the colonial government of Pennsylvania, in virtue of a patent of royal authority. This grant was renewed in 1730. Whether Emanuel Coryell aud Wells were rival ferrymen, or whether they had a joint interest in the ferry, there are no data at hand to determine. Wells bought in 1734, on the Penn- sylvania side, near the ferry, a tract of 100 acres. From him the rapids just below Lambertville get the name of " Wells' Falls."

We proceed now to give some account of the Lam- bert family, whose history has been so much identified with that of the place. Savage's "Genealogical Dic- tionary" mentions that one John Lambert came to America in 1632. Another John Lambert and his brother Gershom are supposed to have been sons of that John. These being family names, it is quite probable that one of them was the father of John Lambert, who lived in Counecticut from 1715 to 1735. He married, in 1713, Abigail Bumstead, sister of Jeremiah Bumstead, of Boston, and had four sous.

These four sons, with their father, came to New Jersey at some time between 1735 and 1746,-precisely when, we cannot determine. Thomas, the eldest son, settled in New Germantown, in Hunterdon County, and left children; Jeremiah, the second, died child- less; John, the third, and Gershom, the youngest, settled about two miles north of Coryell's Ferry. They bought adjoining tracts of land. John had the following children,-namely, Gershom, Jeremiah, Sallie, Elizabeth, Nancy, Abigail, and John.

Gershom, the eldest son of John, owned the farms now in the possession severally of Theodore Hensel, Peter Todd, Prall Wilson, and John Lambert, Jr. He saw Gen. Washington several times while he was at Coryell's Ferry, and just before the battle of Mon- mouth he went to the general's headquarters, at Rich- ard Holcombe's house, to make the necessary arrange- ments for providing a substitute. He sent two repre- sentatives to the army during the war. He used to relate that he had seen Gens. Washington and Greene in close conversation under the large wal- nut-tree which until lately was standing by the road- side near the Holcombe mansion. He aided the American forces in crossing the river, and when the army lay at Morristown he had barrels made by one Charles Cozzens, a cooper, and carted them over there.

Gershom, the youngest son of John Lambert, who came from Connecticut, and uncle of the Gershom we have just been speaking of, had five children,- namely, John, Joseph, Gershom, Sarah, and Jerusha.

John, the eldest son, was born in May, 1746. He took the homestead, the farm now owned by his grand- son, Thomas Seabrook. From all accounts he was a man of much intelligence and of decided ability, in- tegrity, and energy. He was held in high esteem by the community in which he lived and the State to which he belonged, as is shown by the frequency of his election to offices of great responsibility and trust. He represented his fellow-citizens in the Legislature of the State, both in the General Assembly and in the Council. He was for some time vice-president, and afterwards president, of the Council, and acting Gov- ernor of the State. He subsequently became member of the House of Representatives in Congress, and, serving in that capacity for several years, he was elected United States senator, his term expiring in 1815. He failed of a re-election because of his oppo- sition to the war of 1812. He thus showed his inde- pendence of party dictation and his adherence to his convictions of truth. He died in February, 1823, and his remains were interred in Barber's burying-ground, about four miles from Lambertville. He was married twice. His first wife was Susannah Barber, by whom he had seven children, three of whom died in child- hood. He married for his second wife a widow from Monmouth County-Mrs. Hannah Dennis-whose maiden name was Little. By hier he had three chil- dren, all daughters.

Joseph Lambert, a brother of the Hon. John Lam- bert, lived in this place for many years. His resi- dence occupied the site of that of Mrs. Weeden's, on Bridge Street. He had a store adjoining his dwell- ing, and was extensively engaged in business in com- petition with the Parrys iu New Hope. His build- ings were consumed by fire (if we have been correctly informed as to the time) in 1823. He married twice. His first wife was a Wilson, by whom he had four children,-two sons and two daughters. His second wife was Mary, widow of Jonas Tyson, and daughter of Jacob Holcombe, the grandson of the first Hol- combe who settled here. By her he had six children, -five sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Capt. John Lambert, built the hotel on Bridge Street corner of Union, and was the first postmaster in this place. He was an active and useful citizen.

We come now to the recital of some of the inci- dents of the Revolutionary war associated with this locality. The holding of Coryell's Ferry secure from the grasp of the enemy was an important matter in that great struggle.

After the taking of Fort Washington by the Britishı, and the fall of Fort Lee, Washington was compelled to leave New York to the enemy. He retreated across New Jersey and took up his headquarters at the Falls of the Delaware, on the Pennsylvania side,

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opposite Trenton ; he stationed his troops along the river as high up as Coryell's Ferry, and had redoubts thrown up to guard the several ferries. The troops which were stationed opposite here were under com- mand of Lord Stirling. They threw up a strong re- doubt on the top of the hill back of the school-house in New Hope. A space which they leveled off can still be seen, making a slight indentation in the out- line of the hill as it is viewed from the New Jersey side of the river. Another redoubt was thrown up not far from where the two streets come together, opposite the Presbyterian chapel in New Hope.

Gen. Washington visited this point while the troops were stationed on the opposite side of the river, and it is said that he went with Cornelius Coryell, one of the sons of John Emanuel, to the hill now known as Cottage Hill to see whether the enemy could com- mand the American redoubts from that point. He ordered a stockade intrenchment to be made on the hill in New Hope and batteries to be placed on the bank of the river above the ferry. As it was very im- portant that the army should have control of all the boats on the Delaware, he sent Capt. Daniel Bray (who afterwards became a general in the New Jersey militia), Capt. Jacob Gerhart, and Capt. Thomas Jones to collect all the craft on the upper waters of the Del- aware and Lehigh and bring them to Coryell's Ferry. This they did, and hid them behind Malta Island, just below what are known as the Union Mills, at Wells' Falls. At that time there were no mills there, no wing-dam, and the main channel of the river was between that island and the Pennsylvania shore. The island was densely wooded, so that if the enemy looked down from the Jersey heights the boats could not be seen. These boats were thus gotten in readi- ness for the army's crossing at MeConkey's Ferry on the memorable Christmas night of 1776. Some of the boats, it is said, drifted down the stream, becom- ing unmanageable because of the floating ice.

Just at this point in our narrative the following letters and extracts from epistles written by Washing- ton to the Continental Congress from his headquarters at the Falls of the Delaware are of special interest :

" HEADQUARTERS, FALLS OF DELAWARE, Doc. 11, 177G.

" Sin,-After I had written you yesterday, I received certain informa- tion that the onomy, after repairing Crosswick's bridge, had advanced a party of about 500 to Bordentown. By their taking this route it con- Ormis me in my opinion that they have an intention to Inud between this und Philadelphia, as well as above, if they can procuro boats for that purpose.

" f lust night directori Com. Seymour to station all his galleys between Bordentown and Philadelphia, to give the earliest Intelligenca of nny appearance of the enemy on the Jersey shore.

" I yesterday rode up the river about 11 miles to Lonl Stirling's port, whore I found a prisoner of the Forty-second Regiment who had been brought in. Hlo Informed me that Lord Cornwallis was at Pennington with two battalions of grenadiers and three of light infantry, all British, the Hessian Groundiers, the Forty-second Highland Regiment, and two othor battalions, the names of which he did not remember. lle know nothing of the rousons of their being assembled there, nor whnt were their future intentions.

" But I last night received Information from my Lonl Stirling, which Ind been brought in by his scouts, which in some measure accounted for

their being there. They hand made a forced march from Trentoa ou Sunday night to Coryell's Ferry, In hopes of surprising a sufficient nuai- ber of boats to transport them ; but, finding themselves disappointed, hul marched back to Pennington, where they remained yesterday. From their several attempts to suizo boats, it does not look as if they had brought any with them, as I was at one tima informed. I lust night sunt a person over to Trenton to learn whether there was any appearance of building nny, but he could not perceive any preparation for a work of that kind; so that I am in hopes, if propor care is taken to keep all the craft out of their way, they will find the crossing of the Delaware a mattor of considerable difficulty."

[ Extract.] " TRENTON FALLS, Dec. 12, 1776.

" The intelligence we obtain respecting the movements and situation of the enemy is far from being so certain and satisfactory ns I could wish, though every possible menns in my power, and that I can devise, are adopted for that purpose. The latest I have received was from Lord Stirling Inst night. He says that two grenadiers of the Inniskillen regi- ment, who were taken and brought in by some countrymen, Informed him that Gens. Howe, Cornwallis, Vaughnn, etc., with about 6000 of tha flying army, were nt Pennington waiting for pontoons to come up, with which they mean to pass the river near the Blue Mounts," or nt Coryell's Ferry,-they bolieve the Intter ; that the two battalions of guarda were ut Brunswick, and the Hessian grenadiers, chasseurs, and a regiment or two of British troops are nt Trenton."

" HEADQUARTERS, TRENTON FALLS, Dec. 13, 1776.

" Sın,-The apparent design of the onemy being to avoid this ferry and Inud their troops above and below us induced me to remove front this place the greater part of the troops and throw them into a different posi- tion on the river, whereby I hope not only to be more able to impode their passage, but also to avoid the danger of twing inclosed in this nugle of the river, and, notwithstanding the extended appearances of the enemy on the other side, made at least in part to divert our attention from any particular point, as well as to harass us by fatigue, I cannot divest my- self of the opinion that their principal design is to ford the river some- where above Trenton ; to which design I have had particular respect in the new arrangement, wherein I am so happy as to have the concurrence of the general officers at this pince. Four brigades of the army, under Gens. Stirling, Macy, Stephen, and De Fernoy, extend from Yardley's up to Coryell's Ferry, posted in such a manner as to guard every suspicious part of the river nud to afford assistance to each other in case of attack. Gov. Ewing, with the Flying Camp of Pennsylvania und a few Jersey troops undor Gon. Dickinson, are posted from Yanlley's Ferry down to the ferry opposite Bordentown. Col. Cadwallader, with the Pennsylvania militia, ocenpies the ground nhove and below the mouth of the Ne- shinminy River as far down as Dunk's Ferry, at which place Col. Nixon is posted with the Third Battalion of Pennsylvania, A proper quantity of artillery is appointed to ench brigade, and I have ordered small re- doubts to be thrown up opposito every place where there is a probability of fording.

" I shall remove further up the river to be near the main body of my small army, with which evory possible opposition shall be given to any further approach of the onomy towards Philadelphia."

On Dec. 26, 1776, was fought the memorable battle of Trenton, which was the turning-point in the American Revolution. On Christmas Day, as the soldiers were around their camp-fires preparing their dinners, orders came to march. According to tradi- tion, so urgent were the orders that they left without their dinners and directly took up the line of march for MeKonkey's Ferry (now Taylorsville). On arriv- ing there they were stationed back of the ferry until night, when they made the memorable crossing of the river amidst floating ice and in the face of a violent storm of hail and snow.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170